A comprehensive guide to Spanish footwear vocabulary, including types of shoes, parts of shoes, and common expressions to help you talk about shoes confidently.
Understanding how to talk about shoes in Spanish involves more than just naming the styles—you’ll also learn parts of shoes and key expressions that come up in everyday conversation. This guide covers essential footwear vocabulary to help you navigate shopping, describing, and discussing shoes with ease.
Here are the most common types of shoes you’ll encounter in Spanish:
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zapato / zapatos | zapatos | shoe / shoes | shoes | Me compré unos zapatos nuevos. | I bought some new shoes. |
| zapatilla / zapatillas | zapatillas | sneaker / sneakers | sneakers | Uso zapatillas para hacer ejercicio. | I wear sneakers to exercise. |
| bota / botas | botas | boot / boots | boots | Ella lleva botas negras. | She wears black boots. |
| sandalia / sandalias | sandalias | sandal / sandals | sandals | En verano uso sandalias. | In summer, I wear sandals. |
| tacón / tacones | tacones | heel / heels | heels | Los tacones son incómodos para mí. | Heels are uncomfortable for me. |
| alpargata / alpargatas | alpargatas | espadrille / espadrilles | espadrilles | Compré alpargatas en la tienda local. | I bought espadrilles at the local shop. |
| chancla / chanclas | chanclas | flip-flop / flip-flops | flip-flops | En la playa uso chanclas. | I wear flip-flops at the beach. |
Ella lleva ___ negras.
How do you say 'boots' in Spanish?
botas
'Botas' is the plural form of 'bota' (boot) in Spanish. 'Zapatos' are shoes, 'sandalias' are sandals, and 'zapatillas' are sneakers.
Knowing shoe parts in Spanish helps you describe what you need or point out an issue:
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| suela / suelas | suelas | sole / soles | soles | La suela está desgastada. | The sole is worn out. |
| tacón / tacones | tacones | heel / heels | heels | El tacón se rompió. | The heel broke. |
| puntera / punteras | punteras | toe cap / toe caps | toe caps | La puntera es de cuero. | The toe cap is made of leather. |
| plantilla / plantillas | plantillas | insole / insoles | insoles | Cambié las plantillas por unas más cómodas. | I changed the insoles for more comfortable ones. |
| cordón / cordones | cordones | shoelace / shoelaces | shoelaces | Se me soltó un cordón. | One of my shoelaces came undone. |
| cierre / cierres | cierres | zipper / zippers | zippers | Las botas tienen cierre lateral. | The boots have a side zipper. |
Here are common materials shoes are made from, useful for understanding descriptions or labels:
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cuero | — | leather | — | Estos zapatos son de cuero. | These shoes are made of leather. |
| tela | — | fabric | — | Las zapatillas son de tela. | The sneakers are made of fabric. |
| goma | — | rubber | — | La suela es de goma. | The sole is made of rubber. |
| plástico | — | plastic | — | El cierre es de plástico. | The zipper is made of plastic. |
| ante | — | suede | — | Me gustan los zapatos de ante. | I like suede shoes. |
Estos zapatos son de ___.
What is the Spanish word for 'leather'?
cuero
'Cuero' means 'leather' in Spanish. 'Tela' is fabric, 'goma' is rubber, and 'plástico' is plastic.
These phrases will help you talk about shoes more naturally:
| Spanish | English | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué número calzas? | What size do you wear? | ¿Qué número calzas? | What size do you wear? |
| Me quedan grandes/pequeños. | They are too big/small for me. | Estos zapatos me quedan pequeños. | These shoes are too small for me. |
| Probarse los zapatos | Try on the shoes | Quiero probarme estos zapatos. | I want to try on these shoes. |
| Estar cómodo(a) | Be comfortable | Estos zapatos no están cómodos. | These shoes aren’t comfortable. |
| Estrenar | Wear for the first time | Voy a estrenar mis botas nuevas hoy. | I’m going to wear my new boots for the first time today. |
| Hacerse una ampolla | Get a blister | Estos zapatos me hicieron ampollas. | These shoes gave me blisters. |
How do you say 'wear for the first time' in Spanish?
estrenar
'Estrenar' means 'to wear for the first time' in Spanish.
These terms are useful when buying shoes in a Spanish-speaking store or online:
| Spanish | English | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| caja | box | La caja está en el mostrador. | The box is on the counter. |
| etiqueta | tag | La etiqueta dice “Hecho en España”. | The tag says “Made in Spain.” |
| oferta | sale/discount | Hay una oferta en zapatos hoy. | There’s a sale on shoes today. |
| tamaño | size | ¿Tienen este zapato en tamaño 38? | Do you have this shoe in size 38? |
| garantía | warranty | ¿La garantía cubre defectos? | Does the warranty cover defects? |
| devolución | return | ¿Puedo hacer una devolución? | Can I make a return? |
Understanding these categories will give you a solid foundation for talking about shoes in Spanish, whether you’re shopping, describing your favorite pair, or just learning more about the language.
Flashcards (1 of 30)
- English Singular: shoe / shoes
- English Plural: shoes
- English Example: I bought some new shoes.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
